Organisational learning in gender mainstreaming: openings and barriers for implementation and change

The relation between the concepts and practices of gender mainstreaming and organisational learning, and its prerequisite for change, is not well understood in either research or practice. Drawing on a participatory design process of a model for assessing the potential of gender equality interventions to change gendered organisations, this study explores the relation between gender mainstreaming and the concepts and practices of organisational learning and learning organisations to improve the capacity of organisations to undertake developmental and organisational change. The findings stress the effect of the organisational context and logics on the level of distinctness in the goals and processes of gender equality work and organisational learning. By highlighting the interrelation between organisational logics in relation to the processes of organisational change, learning and integration, the results thereby revealed how a more formal and technocratic approach creates both potential openings for and barriers to organisational change and learning.